Chapter 36

Now it came to pass in the fourteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of king Hezekiah, [that] Sennacherib king of Assyria came up¹ against all the defenced⁷ cities of Judah, and took⁴ them.

And the king of Assyria sent⁴ Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood⁴ by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's⁵ field.

Then came forth⁴ unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe,⁶ and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.⁵⁶

And Rabshakeh said⁴ unto them, Say³ ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith¹ the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence [is] this wherein thou trustest?¹

I say,¹ [sayest thou], (but [they are but] vain words) [I have] counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust,¹ that thou rebellest¹ against me?

Lo, thou trustest¹ in the staff of this broken⁷ reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean,¹¹ it will go¹ into his hand, and pierce¹ it: so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust⁶ in him.

But if thou say⁴ to me, We trust¹ in the LORD our God: [is it] not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away,⁵² and said⁴ to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship¹⁰¹ before this altar?

Now therefore give pledges,¹⁰⁰ I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give⁴ thee two thousand horses, if thou be able⁴ on thy part to set² riders⁶ upon them.

How then wilt thou turn away⁵⁵ the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust⁴ on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

And am I now come up¹ without the LORD against this land to destroy⁵³ it? the LORD said¹ unto me, Go up³ against this land, and destroy⁵⁴ it.

Then said⁴ Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak,¹⁶ I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand⁶ [it]: and speak¹⁷ not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that [are] on the wall.

But Rabshakeh said,⁴ Hath my master sent¹ me to thy master and to thee to speak¹⁵ these words? [hath he] not [sent me] to the men that sit⁶ upon the wall, that they may eat² their own dung, ⁶⁶⁷⁵ and drink² their own piss ^{7272 7890} with you?

Then Rabshakeh stood,⁴ and cried⁴ with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said,⁴ Hear³ ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

Thus saith¹ the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive⁵⁵ you: for he shall not be able⁴ to deliver⁵³ you.

Neither let Hezekiah make you trust⁵⁵ in the LORD, saying,² The LORD will surely⁵³ deliver⁵⁵ us: this city shall not be delivered¹¹ into the hand of the king of Assyria.

Hearken⁴ not to Hezekiah: for thus saith¹ the king of Assyria, Make³ [an agreement] with me [by] a present, and come out³ to me: and eat³ ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink³ ye every one the waters of his own cistern;

Until I come² and take¹ you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

[Beware] lest Hezekiah persuade⁵⁵ you, saying,² The LORD will deliver⁵⁵ us. Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered⁵² his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arphad? where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim? and have they delivered⁵² Samaria out of my hand?

Who [are they] among all the gods of these lands, that have delivered⁵² their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver⁵⁵ Jerusalem out of my hand?

But they held their peace,⁵⁵ and answered¹ him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying,² Answer⁴ him not.

Then came⁴ Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, that [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe,⁶ and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder,⁵⁶ to Hezekiah with [their] clothes rent,⁷ and told⁵⁵ him the words of Rabshakeh.